Week #2 Match up - Stillers @ Bears

September 18, 2009 by Guest

Week #2 Matchup - Stillers @ Bears By Pump 'n 'Arn

This week the 1-0 Stillers, fresh from squeaking out a W over Tennessee
in OT, travel to Chi-town to meet the 0-1 Bears, who managed to squeeze
a L from the tightly puckered sphincter of one Jay Cutler in his first
start since his departure from Denver.

When we are on Offense

PGH O-Line vs CHI Front 7
- The shortcomings of this rendition of the Stillers Offensive Line are
well documented on this site. The match up to watch here is #93
Ogunleye vs The Colon. If the Colon blows, BR7 is in for a long and
painful day. The other 3 DL, Harris, Adams, and Brown, while solid, are
not the type to strike fear in opposing offenses. With Urlacher out,
Lance Briggs is the only linebacker with any pedigree worth mentioning.
He's been to 4 straight Pro-Bowls and is an all around solid
linebacker. Taking Urlacher's spot in the middle is Hunter
Hillenmeyer... a special teams guy who gets to play with the big boys
for a change. If the O-Line can manage a stalemate here, there is a
good chance for some holes to open up in the running game. Only time
will tell if FWP and Mendy can hit those holes before they close. The
Bears do not rely heavily on blitzing to get QB pressure. Instead, they
tend to run more stunts along the line. This, as we know, tends to
leave the O-line more confused than a pimple-faced 14 yr old trying to
undo his first bra strap. Ever wonder how our O-line looks so much
better in the no-huddle... it's because the Def. Coord. can't call
D-Line stunts. If Arians can manage to go No Huddle when it is NOT
expected, we should produce points. Advantage Bears

PGH WR & TE vs CHI Secondary
- The Bears play a lot of Cover-2. From watching them play vs the
Packers last week, they tend to allow receivers to get open deep more
often than most Cover-2 teams. Expect to see BR7 using the same number
of pump fakes this week to try to get people open deep. I really like
Wallace's chance of snagging a big play in this manner. The Bears get
Zack Bowman back into the starting lineup for the first time since
October last year. He showed promise as a rookie only to end up on IR
in his 1st and only game. They are starting a rookie in Afalava at SS. This gives them 2 starters who are making their 2nd NFL start.
They need to be attacked early and often. They should not be allowed to
get into the flow of the game or feel comfortable at any point. Heath
Miller needs to be used as more than Tackle Eligible in the pass game,
as he was last week. Advantage Stillers

When we are on Defense

CHI O-Line vs PGH Front 7
- Olin Kreutz anchors an average O-line that also includes the likes of
Orlando Pace. These guys struggled to open holes against Green Bay, who
are in their 1st season of switching to the 3-4 defense. It stands to
reason that they won't get any better at blocking a 3-4 front in 7
days, especially an established 3-4. Matt Forte is no slouch at RB. We
must tackle him well to prevent yards after contact. Likewise, in the
passing game, this same front line had even more trouble. Heavy
pressure on Cutler force several bad throws and 4 picks. On one 3 play
stretch, Cutler's first 2 tosses should have been picked, and the last
was picked. All were the result of quick pressure. Bottom line here is
that Cutler does not like to be hit. Please Dick, no velcro blitzes.
Defense needs to be aware of screens and reverses in an attempt to get
Hester and Forte out in space. Advantage StillersCHI WR & TE vs PGH Secondary
- The Bears have quite possibly the least respected starting WR tandem
in the league. Devon Hester is a beast in the return game but has never
proven himself as a reliable threat on offense. Earl Bennett is Dallas
Baker of the Bears, with the only difference being that he starts. The
real threat here is the TE Olsen. He is Cutler's security blanket and
should NOT be allowed to roam free in the secondary. This should be a
light day for the Stillers secondary, especially if Cutler is NOT
permitted to set his feet and survey the field. Ty Carter needs to be a
Ball Hawk this week in Polamalu�s absence. Advantage Stillers

Special Teams

Stefan
Logan & Daniel Sepulveda give the Stillers the edge in the field
position game if the offenses are both out to lunch this week. As much
as Reed gets credit for being the best kicker at the Heinz cow pasture,
Robbie Gould deserves serious props for being the all time best kicker
at Soldier Field. The real threat here, as mentioned above is Devon
Hester. He must be contained in every kicking situation. Sepulveda
should be pinning him to a sideline on every kick. If possible, Reed
needs to kick away from him or squib it. These tactics may seem cheap,
but if we kick it down the middle, he is a serious threat to take one
to the house. PUSH

Keys to Victory

1. Keep Pressure on Cutler - If the D shows up nasty, aggressive and hungry, we should have 5+ sacks or 2+ INTs and a victory. 2. Kick Away from Devon Hester - As mentioned above, he must not be allowed the opportunity to beat us in the return game.3. Attack the Chicago Secondary � Pump fakes and PAP should bait these young DBs into some bad plays. Attack early and often.